Time to take this bull by the horns and milk it.
I’m not sure if this is interesting or not, but it’s semi-amusing to me in that well-doggoneit-if-these-conspiracy-guys-aren’t-bending-over-way-too-far-trying-to-find-some-kooky-stuff-to-believe sort of way: Reverse Speech Presidential Elections 2004
Apparently, these folks believe you can tell more about a candidate’s true intentions by listening to what they say backwards.
Interesting new study reported in The Telegraph: Alcohol sharpens your brain, say researchers.
If you like Will Ferrell and/or you don’t like George Bush, this is pretty amusing: Will Ferrell – A message from White House West.
I’m on a new health kick that involves, among other things, eating and sleeping better, drinking a lot less, and going for a walk every morning before work. One of my many blessings is living near the edge of the American River Canyon in Northern California, and my walk takes me from my house, where there’s no view whatsoever and the deer never hang around, about two blocks away to a neighborhood in an abandoned olive orchard that has great views of the canyon, and lots of casual wildlife milling about.
Day before yesterday, I startled a pair of deer, a buck and a doe, so yesterday, I took my digital camera with me and snapped a few candids of some wild turkeys (Mmmm… Wild Turkey™) that were just kinda hangin’ out, and some sunflowers that were really tough to sneak up on.
Click the pics below for the larger images:
 Sunflowers |
 Momma T w/Chick |
 5 In a Row |
 3 Turkeys |
 About Face! |
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I’ve just learned via e-news from the Skeptics Society that Nobel Prize-winner Francis Crick, well known as the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA, passed away last Wednesday at the age of 88. Michael Shermer’s written up a nice obituary over on his Skeptics Society website.
Last night, The Lady Janet and I had a rare evening out on the town. We went down to a nearby small town called Newcastle, CA, population 6,231, to a very cool little joint called Constable Jack’s, where I tried alligator for the first time (Mmm… alligator), and we listened to Jen Chapin, daughter of the late Harry Chapin, sing excellently with her excellent band.
It was very sad that there were only a handful of people listening in this venue that said “Maximum Occupancy 100,” because these guys rocked. The bass player is her husband Stephan Crump, and he plays Fender™ like a master, and standup bass as well, though he only played the Fender last night.
The drummer, keyboard player, and guitarist also showed off great chops on about 15 songs that were rhythmically and harmonically sophisticated, yet surprisingly catchy. Several reminded us of other female vocalists we like very much like Alanis, Joan Osborne, and Norah Jones, though Jen has a unique voice that is pure and powerful, laid-back, even girlish at times.
The good news about the lack of crowdedness is that we got to talk at length with Jen and her band. I asked her about her process for writing, for instance, and she said that it depends on the song. Some come to her as a melody, others as words to a bass line. She says she writes on guitar and piano, though she doesn’t play them on stage.
Click through to jenchapin.com and check out the samples, then follow her around on tour and buy all her CDs.
Bottom line – I give this band: 
This is pretty cute: Scientific American – Einstein’s Parrot.
(via Head’s Up!)
 © annabenson.net Used by permission. |
A note about me:
I am not a major league pitcher for The Pirates, nor is my wife a model who writes publicly about our private intimacies. The good news is that I’ve been getting about 15 to 20 extra hits per day lately from Google™ search hits for “Chris Benson’s Wife.” The bad news is that they’re really looking for K-R-I-S Benson’s Wife. So if you’re them, you need to go to Annabenson.net, and I apologize for how slow it is when you get there – she seems to be very popular right now. |
Excite Today’s Poll today asked whether or not the US should ever use physical torture on detainees, and the majority said, “Sure, why not – whatever it takes.”
Do you think that the United States should ever use
physical torture on the people it detains?Yes, in some circumstances 54% => 5420 votes
No, never 41% => 4143 votes
I’m not sure 3% => 395 votes
I don’t care 0% => 61 votes
Current number of voters: 10019
I find this deeply disturbing.
